My Final Round 1 Mock

So here we are, a year of watching these players, studying their tape, evaluating team needs, reading approximately 45,843 mock drafts, and after all that, I still don’t have a clue which players will get their names called on Thursday night,outside of no.1 overall. This draft, more than any I can remember, has become incredibly hard to predict, there is seemingly no consensus on these player grades, and 31 teams could go in a multitude of directions. So, this is my best guess at how the 1^st round of the 2026 NFL Draft will play out.

1. Las Vegas Raiders – Fernando Mendoza – QB – Indiana

No surprise here, this has been written in stone for months. The Raiders get what they hope will be their franchise QB. They have spent a ton in free agency in an attempt to set up the rookie quarterback for success, they have even paid Kirk Cousins, meaning Mendoza doesn’t have, and probably won’t start early on.    

2. New York Jets – David Bailey – Edge – Texas Tech

This was a coin flip between Bailey and Arvell Reese in the end; I opted for the player who I believe will be more impactful as a rookie, which is what Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey need if they are to keep their jobs. Bailey will fit nicely into the Jets’ new 3-4 defensive scheme and will form a nice pass rush rotation with Will McDonald IV and free agency acquisitions, Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare.

TRADE: Kansas City Chiefs send picks 9 and 40 to the Arizona Cardinals for the 3^rd overall selection.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Arvell Reese – OLB – Ohio State

The Chiefs will believe that they will not be picking this high for a long time, so, in this scenario they make the most of it by trading up for one of the few blue-chip prospects in this class. I expect Chiefs defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo to utilise Reese in numerous different alignments to help his defence get some much-needed pressure on opposing quarterbacks, something they have been missing.

4. Tennessee Titans – Jeremiah Love – RB – Notre Dame

I considered several players here for the Titans, all at positions that I deemed as a need, edge, offensive line, and wide receiver. Still, I landed one of the best players in the class, Love is a dynamic runner capable of making a house call on any given play. He adds a playmaking ability that this Titans offence just doesn't have currently and will be a huge asset for second-year quarterback, Cam Ward.

5. New York Giants – Sonny Styles – LB – Ohio State

I was torn between Styles and his Buckeye teammate, Caleb Downs, but opted for the 6’5’’ freak athlete to run the Giants defence. Styles is the best player in the class for me, I don’t think there is anything he cannot do at the linebacker position. John Harbaugh has seen firsthand the impact of a great linebacking corps during his time in Baltimore. Here, he gets the first piece of the puzzle of rebuilding the Giants defence.

6. Cleveland Browns – Spencer Fano – OT – Utah

The Browns fill a massive hole at offensive tackle with Fano, who, I believe, can play either right or left tackle in the NFL. He has elite movement skills, a decent anchor and likes to punish people in the run game. If Shedur Sanders is to prove he is a starting NFL quarterback, he needs to be protected, they take a step towards that here.

TRADE: Dallas Cowboys send picks 12, 92 and 112 to the Washington Commanders for pick 7.

7. Dallas Cowboys – Caleb Downs – S – Ohio State

The Commanders only have six picks in this draft with a lot of holes to fill on their roster so they will be very open to moving back and picking up more capital. The Cowboys get one of the best players in the class to bolster their secondary. This is a copycat league, and teams will be looking for their own chess piece on defence like a Kyle Hamilton, Nick Emmanwori or Brian Branch, Jerry Jones gets his man here.

8. New Orleans Saints – Rueben Bain – Edge – Miami

The best edge in this class in my opinion, Bain falls to the Saints here, mainly due to questions about his arm length. He does seem like their type, powerful, great against the run but can still bend and get after the quarterback. This is a no-brainer for the Saints who need a replacement for Cam Jordan who is still unsigned. There are some off-field issues to be aware of with Bain, but teams have known about them for a long time so they have had the opportunity to do their own due diligence.

9. Arizona Cardinals – Francis Mauigoa – OT – Miami

Back-to-back Hurricanes as the Cardinals can trade back and select a player that was in consideration at no.3. No one, including the Cardinals, knows who is playing quarterback in Arizona this year, but whoever it is, they’ll need to be protected, and Mauigoa is certainly an upgrade for them in that department while also greatly helping their run game.

10. New York Giants – Jordyn Tyson – WR – Arizona State

After trading away Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Giants now have two top 10 picks.  With the second of those, they get a weapon for Jaxson Dart. Tyson, when healthy, is the best receiver in this class for me, he just knows how to get open and has great hands. His injury history is concerning, but everything that I have seen seems to indicate that teams are happy with the medical reports, I expect him to be a high pick on Thursday night.

11. Miami Dolphins – Mansoor Delane – CB – LSU

The Dolphins' list of needs could reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench; they have so many holes, they could go in any direction here, but for me, their secondary needs major refurbishment, and that starts here with Delane who would immediately be CB1 for them. He possesses the size and physicality that Jeff Hafley seemed to covet when he was a defensive coordinator, I really like this fit for Miami.

12. Washington Commanders – Carnell Tate – Ohio State

I’ll be the first to admit, this feels low for Tate, he was in consideration for five of the top ten picks, but each time I felt other players filled bigger needs for those teams. So the Commanders get to trade back and still select a top ten talent, Tate will be a big target for Jayden Daniels in what is currently a very thin-looking wide receiver room. I strongly considered selecting Vega Ioane, but Tate just edged him out.

13. Los Angeles Rams – Makai Lemon – WR – USC

The Rams are going all in this year to win another Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford in what will likely be his final year, although, I said the same thing this time last year. Having acquired both the Chiefs' cornerbacks, one via trade and the other as a free agent, I have them adding another weapon for the reigning MVP. Lemon complements what they already have in Puka Nacua and will allow them to save the ageing Davante Adams for when he is at his best, 3^rd downs and redzone.

14. Baltimore Ravens – Olaivavega Ioane – G – Penn State

One of the most common player-team pairings in mock drafts. Ioane just seems to fit so well with the Ravens who have a need at guard. He is arguably the best offensive lineman in this year's draft, he is a top ten prospect for me, I’ve been in love with his game since the summer. He is great in both phases of the game, but his pass protection is elite, Ravens get a good one here.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jermod McCoy – CB – Tennessee

The Buccaneers lost Jamal Dean to free agency; here, they replace him with the sticky Jermod McCoy. Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, McCoy has not played football since tearing his ACL back in January 2025, he did recently have a private pro day, and performed well, but there are some major concerns about his knee. The Buccaneers will be hoping he finds his 2024 form which was better than anything that any cornerback put on tape in 2025.

16. New York Jets – Omar Cooper Jr – WR – Indiana

As I alluded to earlier, the Jets have to win some games this year if the current regime is to survive. To do this, they need to find a way to move the ball; here, they get a receiver who can help with this. Cooper knows how to get open quickly versus both zone and man coverage, exactly the type of receiver Geno Smith will love. He’s not blazing fast, but they have Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell to be the serious threats.

17. Detroit Lions – Monroe Freeling – OT – Georgia

Need I say more? Arguably the offensive tackle with the highest upside in the class, he’s still fairly raw in some areas of his game and there will be some ugly moments during his rookie year, but in a couple of years, he could be the best left tackle in the NFL. Freeling is a left tackle only so PeneiSewell would stay at right tackle. I debated trading for a tackle but decided to wait it out and it paid off.

18. Minnesota Vikings – Dillon Thieneman – S – Oregon

This makes me feel sick, but it just makes too much sense for the Vikings if he’s there at 18. With Harrison Smith currently contemplating retirement, Thieneman would be a perfect replacement. I cannot put into words how much I love Dillon Thieneman, and it’s not just because he was a Duck, I’ve been a fan since his freshman year at Purdue, this would absolutely ruin draft night for me.

19. Carolina Panthers – Kenyon Sadiq – TE – Oregon

Back-to-back Ducks. Panthers should go for the best pass catcher available, in this scenario that’s Sadiq. He’s a mismatch nightmare for defences to deal with, too fast for linebackers, too strong for safeties, and he can block. He will quickly become Bryce Young’s best friend.

20. Dallas Cowboys – Keldric Faulk – Edge – Auburn

It took a couple of years, but the Cowboys get their Tank Lawrence replacement. They allowed 4.7 yards per carry in 2025, Faulk will help address this, he will be a very good run defender early in his career while he develops his pass rush, he will form a nice rotation with Donovan Ezeiruaku and trade addition Rashan Gary. I considered going cornerback for them, but there isn’t one I like in this range.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – S – Toledo

I actually quite like the Steelers roster, I found it hard to identify a glaring need, they just need to figure out who will be throwing the ball for them in 2026, is Aaron Rodgers returning? Is this a potential landing spot for Ty Simpson? Who knows, I am of the belief that Rodgers will give it one more go this year reuniting with his former head coach from his time in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy. Therefore, I went in a different direction and bolstered the secondary, McNeil-Warren would immediately be the best safety on this team in my opinion.

22. Los Angeles Chargers – Peter Woods – DT – Clemson

Woods wins the race to become the first defensive tackle taken, he would fit perfectly in the Chargers’ 3-man front as one of the ends, which in that scheme is an interior position. He was projected to be a top-five pick before the season, but like every other Clemson prospect, his stock fell after their awful year. Woods would add some much-needed interior pass rush for the Chargers.

23. Philadelphia Eagles – Kadyn Proctor – OT – Alabama

The Eagles love SEC prospects. As has been much discussed, Proctor is far from the perfect player, he has areas of his game that need a lot of refinement, and there are also some questions about his work ethic. The Eagles are the perfect landing spot for Proctor where he can sit and learn from two of the best in the game, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson, who he should be able to replace once he retires.

24. Cleveland Browns – K.C Concepcion – WR – Texas A&M

The other thing Shedure Sanders needs, other than protection from his offensive line, is playmakers, and that’s exactly what Concepcion is. He is twitchy, agile and an absolute menace once he gets the ball in his hands, he will provide a lot of yards after catch for the Browns, which is ideal for a young quarterback trying to prove himself.

25. Chicago Bears – TJ Parker – Edge – Clemson

The other Tiger that was supposed to be a top-five pick. The Bears need help along the defensive line, both at edge and defensive tackle, I’ve opted for the edge here, there are run-stuffing tackles aplenty on day two for them. Parker offers a lot in both phases of the game, he is a very good run defender and was a decent pass rusher in 2025, somewhere in there, there is still the elite 2024 version of him, the Bears will hope to find it.

26. Buffalo Bills – Denzel Boston – WR – Washington

The Bills have a lot of options here, I have them getting another weapon for Josh Allen. Boston is big and fast but also flashes as a savvy route runner. He immediately upgrades the Bills’ wide receiver room which has been underwhelming in recent years. He’d be a great compliment to DJ Moore and Khalil Shakir, all three offering different skillsets.

27. San Francisco 49ers – Caleb Lomu – OT – Utah

While Trent Williams is returning, he will be 38 this year, so surely the end is in sight for the best left tackle in football. Lomu future proofs the position for the 49ers, he needs to add some strength in my opinion but would be a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan’s zone running scheme. There is a chance they could try Lomu at right tackle, but his most natural fit is on the left.

28. Houston Texans – Kayden McDonald – DT – Ohio State

My DT1 in this class. Although the Texans’ run defence was very good in 2025, I think they’ll look to add to the interior of the line to keep it that way. McDonald is the best run-defending tackle in the class by a distance; he is an immovable object on the line of scrimmage. There isn’t much in terms of pass rush, but when you’ve got two of the best pass rushers in the NFL, Will Anderson Jr and Danielle Hunter screaming off the edges, you don’t need him to be.

29. Kansas City Chiefs – Blake Miller – OT – Clemson

Per ESPN, Jaylon Moore is currently slated to start at right tackle for the Chiefs in 2026, with Patrick Mahomes coming off a major injury, they need to do all they can to protect him. I have them selecting the four-year starter for Clemson who will plug that hole at right tackle and help keep Mahomes upright. Miller probably has the highest floor of any tackle, but don’t discount his ceiling either, he still has some developing to do.

30. Miami Dolphins – Chase Bisontis – G – Texas A&M

The Dolphins have been trying to fix their offensive line for years, and while they have some pieces there that I quite like, I have them adding Bisontis to bolster the interior. Bisontis is a great pass protector but can overbalance in the run game. Miami could go in any direction here, they have that many holes, so I’m not overly confident on this one.

31. New England Patriots – Max Iheanachor – OT – Arizona State

It’s been widely accepted that Iheanachor, who is relatively new to the sport, needs at least a year to get up to speed in the NFL. The Patriots are a perfect landing spot for him; he can sit and learn behind Morgan Moses who is 35 now while providing great depth at a position of value. This is a pick that just makes so much sense to me, so it almost certainly will not happen.

TRADE: Arizona Cardinals send picks 34 and 143 to the Seattle Seahawks for pick 32.

32. Arizona Cardinals – Ty Simpson – QB – Alabama

The Seahawks add to their measly four picks by trading back two spots. Arizona get QB2 in this year's draft, pre-empting anyone else like the Jets or Steelers that may have interest and in doing so they gain the fifth-year option for a player they will hope can become a franchise quarterback.

Feel free to pick this apart, let me know what you think. This is the last time you’ll hear from me before the draft. I hope you have a great three days however you consume it, we will be live for every pick on the podcast so please come and watch along with us and see just how wrong my mock is.